You will be seen as soon as possible, according to the severity of your illness, and not in order of attendance. If another patient comes to the Emergency Department with a more serious condition, you may be required to wait. We thank you for your patience and understanding.

When you arrive

Please see the triage nurse first. They will ask questions and assess your condition to determine your level of priority:

Immediate (life threatening)

Very urgent

Urgent

Standard

Non-urgent

You may need to be taken straight into the department or directed to the waiting room.

While you are waiting, please inform the triage nurse if your condition changes or you decide to seek treatment elsewhere.

What fees will have I to pay?

Our Emergency Department is a private emergency facility and an out-of-pocket fee of $210 applies to most visits. We bill Medicare directly for doctors’ procedures and consultations.

Please note:

Private health insurance and Medicare do not cover the out-of-pocket fee.

Department of Veterans’ Affairs will cover the Emergency Department fees if you are a gold card holder.

We request payment of all costs, including the Medicare portion of your visit prior to leaving. Payment can be made via credit card or EFTPOS.

Other fees – x-ray, pathology (blood tests), crutches

Fees for services such as x-rays, pathology (blood tests) and walking aids, usually incur additional out-of-pocket costs. The service provider will send you an additional account for these services.

You may be able to claim some fees for diagnostic services (blood tests and x-rays) from Medicare.

What happens next?

Once you are inside the Emergency Department, our nurses and doctors will complete a thorough assessment of your conditions.

Tests and procedures will be carried out when necessary. The team will review your test results and provide emergency treatment, and will then decide to either:

allow you to return home with a referral for further care if necessary (such as a follow-up appointment with your local doctor or an outpatient appointment)

monitor your condition for a few hours before making a decision regarding your care

admit you to hospital for further care.

Sometimes you may need to wait for test results or for a ward bed to become available. We will continue to care for you until you are able to go to a ward or be discharged home.

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respect to them and their cultures and to Elders past and present.